Carrizo

By: Eric Persha

“Does everyone know that Carrizo Plain is California’s Serengeti… minus the (zebra emoji) and (giraffe emoji) ;) Also, does anyone have extra limes?”

I started our group text attempting to bring a little humor to the scenario that was knowingly unfolding in all of our households. Packing for a quick weekend camping trip was once as simple as grabbing a pre-packed duffle and some beer from a gas station. Now, with two children, the pre-trip preparation and packing extravaganza bordered on the complexity of an Everest expedition.

The next morning, we caravanned south through California’s Coastal Range and farm country, on our way toward two nights of dispersed camping amongst wildflowers somewhere in the quarter of a million acres of the Carrizo Plain. Sitting between the Temblor Range on the North East and the Caliente Range on the southwest, the plain is home to the largest single native grassland remaining in California and is scarred by the oldest section of the San Andreas fault.

We presumed that the driving distance from a major city and the remote nature of the park would thin out the crowds seeking a wildflower selfie and were rewarded by two days of complete isolation. We roamed through fields of wildflowers with kids on our shoulders, made sun prints with native grasses, spent the afternoon napping and painting with watercolors, and flew kites as the sunset. In all of that packing and planning, we created a magical experience that would continue to build a yearning for nature in our children and the warm weekly nudge of “papa, can we go camping again.” It’s amazing how when you create an enchanting trip for kids it has a way of clearing your mind and filling the kid in you back up with endless energy.